Cool Season Crops
[photo: Tah Tsoi in my garden)
I like to grow cool season crops (lettuces, greens, peas, beets). They extend the season into early spring and later into fall/winter, but I have a problem with some of them, that is, they don’t seem to last long, especially when spring planted. Central Virginia is blessed with a long slide into spring and a long fall, but both seasons have lots of variability in weather conditions. Whenever I start spring crops at the times recommended in garden books and seed packs (mid-March) I get one flush of crops, then they succumb to the heat. The peas whither, the lettuces bolt, the beets get stringy. If I start them too early, however, they are likely to succumb to the few full freezes or snow or hail we have in February and March, even into April. So, this year I am starting these plants early, by seed, outdoors, or rather in the modified outdoors. I am experimenting by planting a variety of seeds sowed directly in my cold frame and in the plastic row tunnel I bought this winter. On Saturday, Feb. 7, I sowed lettuces, spinach, beets, turnips, peas and chard under cover. (I also started some indoors, in peat pots, under lights, for later transplanting). The only thing I have to lose is a few dollars in seeds and some effort (though digging in the dirt when it’s 65 degrees out in February is hardly a chore!). I will keep you posted as to when (and if) I see the seeds germinating and report on this new, early start to the season! All in the name of science…and good eating!
Happy Gardening!
OK, so I recently wrote how delighted I was to have finally figured out Virginia cool season planting and that I had seedlings coming up under my cold frame and the row tunnel. Well, nature didn't appreciate my confidence. Above is the cold frame ...
